Viewing sports footage on TV

Since the World Cup fever spread out of Brazil, we've been looking a little closer at how well the TVs we test handle sports footage in both standard and broadcast high definition (1080i).

Our previous tests also compared these formats for movies, but sport is an important part of our culture and we think it deserves special attention.

The footage we've been using is taken directly from broadcast TV and is of football games played in Australia. We focus on how easy it is to pick out individual players either by their features or jersey numbers, object motion problems such as blurring or pixelation, and loss of detail when panning.

This is in addition to our current viewing of standard definition (DVD) and Blu-ray movies. Our technical tests remain unchanged.

Brands and models tested

2014 models:

Dick Smith GE6877

Hisense 40K390PA

Hisense 50K390PAD

Kogan KALED55UHDZA

LG 32LB563B

LG 32LB5820

LG 32LB6500

LG 42LB5610

LG 42LB5820(T)

LG 42LB6500

LG 49UB850T

LG 50LB5610

LG 50LB5820

LG 50LB6500

LG 55EC930T

LG 55LB7500

LG 55UB820T

LG 55UB850T

LG 55UB950T

LG 60LB5610

Palsonic TFTV4227FL

Panasonic TH-32A400A

Panasonic TH-32AS610A

Panasonic TH-42A400A

Panasonic TH-42AS640A

Panasonic TH-42AS700A

Panasonic TH-50A430A

Panasonic TH-50AS640A

Panasonic TH-50AS700A

Panasonic TH-55AS740A

Panasonic TH-55AS800A

Panasonic TH-58AX800A

Panasonic TH60AS640A

Samsung UA32H4000

Samsung UA32H5000

Samsung UA32H5500

Samsung UA32H6400

Samsung UA40H5500

Samsung UA40H6300

Samsung UA40H6400AW

Samsung UA48H5000AW

Samsung UA48H6400AW

Samsung UA48HU8500W

Samsung UA50HU7000

Samsung UA55H6400AW

Samsung UA55H8000AW

Samsung UA55HU8500W

Samsung UA55HU9000W

Samsung UA60H6400AW

Sony KD49X8500B

Sony KD55X8500B

Sony KD55X9000B

Sony KDL32W700B

Sony KDL40W600B

Sony KDL42W800B

Sony KDL48W600B

Sony KDL50W700B

Sony KDL50W800B

Sony KDL-60W850B

TCL L32S4690S

TCL L55S4690FS

TCL U40E5691FDS

TEAC LES5572F3D

TEAC LES6572F3D

TEAC LET3996FHD

TEAC LET5096FHD

2013 models:

Blaupunkt BP3914FHD

Hisense HL32K160L

Hisense HL39K360PL

Hisense HL40K160PL

Hisense HL50K610PZLN3D

JVC LT-40N530

Kogan KALED423DSMTZA

LG 32LA6230

LG 32LN5400

LG 32LN541B

LG 42LA6230

LG 42LA6620

LG 42LN5400

LG 42LN5710

LG 47LA6620

LG 50LA6230

LG 50LA6620

LG 50LN5400

LG 50PN4500

LG 50PN6500

LG 55LA6620

LG 55LA8600

LG 60LA8600

Palsonic TFTV3920MW

Panasonic TH-L32B6A

Panasonic TH-L32XM6A

Panasonic TH-L32XV6A

Panasonic TH-L42E6A

Panasonic TH-L42ET60A

Panasonic TH-L47WT60A

Panasonic TH-L50B6A

Panasonic TH-L50DT60A

Panasonic TH-L50E6A

Panasonic TH-L50ET60A

Panasonic TH-L55DT60A

Panasonic TH-L55ET60A

Panasonic TH-L55WT60A

Panasonic TH-P50ST60A

Panasonic TH-P55VT60A

Panasonic TH-P60ST60A

Samsung PS51F5000

Samsung PS60F8500

Samsung UA32F4000

Samsung UA32F5000

Samsung UA32F5500

Samsung UA32F6400

Samsung UA40F5000

Samsung UA40F5500

Samsung UA40F6400

Samsung UA40F6800

Samsung UA46F7100

Samsung UA50F6400

Samsung UA50F6700

Samsung UA50F6800

Samsung UA55F6700

Samsung UA55F6800

Samsung UA55F7100

Samsung UA55F8000

Sharp L-32LE355X

Sharp LC40LE355X

Sharp LC60LE940X

Sony KD-55X9004A

Sony KDL32R400A

Sony KDL32W670A

Sony KDL40R450A

Sony KDL42W670A

Sony KDL42W800A

Sony KDL46W900A

Sony KDL47W800A

Sony KDL50R550A

Sony KDL50W700A

Sony KDL55W800A

Sony KDL55W900A

Sony KDL60R550A

TCL L32E5390E

TCL L46E5510FDS

TCL L55F3300FS

TEAC LEV3294HD

TEAC LEV3994FHD

Toshib 32W2300A

Toshiba 50L7300A

How we test

Picture quality

Our testers set up all the models we test in our specialised TV lab and adjust their controls to get the best picture quality possible. The lighting in the room is low but not dark and the sound is muted. Three experts watch a variety of footage including movies, sport and programs made specifically for TV simultaneously on all the screens. Sources for these are from standard (576i) and high definition (1080i) broadcast TV, DVD and Blu-ray, as well as some still photos. They evaluate the picture quality and rate it out of 10 for each input. A special reference Blu-ray disc and two reference DVDs are used to provide test patterns and some movie scenes.

Testers check how well each TV produces accurate colour, solid blacks and whites without a colour shift.

They display a number of test patterns from a high-quality Blu-ray/DVD player to measure if any of the picture is cut off at the edges.

They play movies and other test footage to check the screen's ability to produce images without colour banding, jerkiness, blurring, pixelation or vibration.

They check for colours bleeding in high-contrast or very intensely saturated parts of the image, and that there are no trails behind fast-moving objects on the screen.

Sound quality

Our testers listen to movies and music to check for rattles, hums, hisses or distortion, and make a judgement on how well the voices and high and low sounds are produced.

Ease of use

Testers use the remote control, front panel controls and onscreen display to perform a number of common tasks, such as channel and volume changing, setting up favourites and re-scanning channels.

They look for logical menus and clear labelling, as well as buttons and controls that are easily identified and can be used without interfering with other controls.

Energy score

If the star rating on the label is less than 1.5 stars or more than 9, our testers use a calibrated power supply and power meter to measure the power consumed by the TV when in use. This is done using "out-of-the-box" settings, as required by the mandatory power rating standard.

The actual energy used is calculated based on 10 hours' use per day over 365 days. This includes energy used when the TV is on standby during the other 14 hours of the day.

EPG

Our testers assess the ease of access to the EPG information, its update speed and the ease of setting up a recording where appropriate. This score is included as part of overall ease of use.

DVR*

Our testers record to both a USB hard drive and solid state media (USB stick) where appropriate and check to see if the recording is compatible with other TVs of the same brand, or other TVs of a different brand. They assess how easy it is to set up a recording and manage the recordings once on the media.

3D*

3D vision is assessed and a score recorded.

Smart TV

Our definition of a smart TV is one that has most, if not all, the following features:

Capacity to connect you to the internet via either cable, Wi-Fi or bot.

Web browser.

Built-in apps to connect you to services like catch-up TV supplied online by the major television networks, Facebook, YouTube, etc.

DLNA functionality to allow you to easily connect to your home network and stream media from a computer.

Inbuilt games, apps and other applications that might be useful (such as weather updates or a world clock).

Software upgrade via the internet.

Some form of speech or motion control.

Specialised remote or other device to make entering text easier.

Record to and playback from a USB device.

Content access from a smartphone or tablet.

Capacity to identify upcoming programs based on your viewing preferences.

The tester assesses how easy it is to find and use any of the above-mentioned features, where they exist. This is reflected in the smart TV score.

*Scores for DVR, EPG and 3D are recorded, but not used in the overall assessment at this stage.

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